Grey Hairs and Hugs

Walking up to me with the kindest most gentle smile giving me a hug and saying "how are you?! I've missed you so much!" This was my "after church greeting" from an elderly lady at our church. One whom I had only really gotten to know more dearly through the fellowship of our women's Bible study the previous year. She is who I want to be when I grow up. Let me explain.

Most women long for creams to avoid wrinkles, creams to put on your hair to hide greys, creams to hide cellulite. Hide any evidence that you just may be getting older. While I do struggle with those vain thoughts of aging, I actually am thankful and find such a wonderful and gentle beauty in the older women that I can call my sweet sisters in Christ. Proverbs 16:31 used to be a joke that was tossed around by one of my dear mentors, but in all honesty she is so right. It is a crown of glory. Something to look forward to. I long for being like this sweet dear lady and so many others in my local body (and of course those all around, but the ones in my local church are the ones I see the most). I want to be the one that just deeply cares for others as to make it a point to walk up and embrace them in a hug saying that I dearly have missed them. When I think of "what I want to be when I grow up" I long to be like these wonderfully beautiful women I see walking along side others in this walk of faith. That is a beauty that no cream could produce. That is being so full of Christ it just exudes from your very being.

My prayer is that slowly I am becoming like that lady. I am thankful that "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in me will carry it to completion on the day of Christ." My prayer is that I can become like the women in Titus 2:3-5 and 2 Timothy 9-15. That my friends is a beauty that is to be longed for.

So I end with saying, bring on the aging. Bring on the grey hairs. Bring on the hugs. Bring on Christ-fullness. And to the older women, thank you. You are a blessing to your local body and those around you. Thank you for shining Christ love in seemingly simple ways. Those simple ways make ripples that turn into waves.